Electrical component housings are commonly used in the automotive industry to house fuse devices and relay devices that are necessary to protect or perform various functions in a motor vehicle's electrical power distribution network.
Electrical connections within the housing are accomplished by using electrical terminals designed to be mounted and retained in the housing body. Typically, electrical terminals retained in the housing are called electrical terminal receptacles. The receptacles are electrically conductive and are designed to receive mating terminals. Mating terminals may be attached to a fuse or another electrical element. The electrical terminal receptacle, which is inserted into the housing body, is typically connected to an insulated wire or another mating terminal that is connected to the automobile's electrical power source.
Because the electrical terminal receptacles may be required to mate with mating terminals of varying contact dimensions, it is thus necessary to polarize the receptacles in the cavities of the housing body. In addition to polarizing the receptacles, it is desired that the receptacles be easy to install in the housing body and that they be restrained from undesired removal when the mating terminal is withdrawn from the receptacle. There is also a desire to provide electrical terminal receptacles of enhanced structural strength.